Palin Commits Political Suicide
June 4, 2010 13 Comments
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to remember a once promising political career. A political career cut short by political broken promises and unfulfilled aspirations. It was just yesterday afternoon that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin did what many conservatives across the state thought unthinkable; yesterday afternoon Sarah Palin endorsed former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad in the current gubernatorial primary race. Many Iowa conservatives were at first perplexed at the endorsement; surely this must be a joke they thought. They couldn’t understand why a woman that has proclaimed herself as conservative as Sarah Palin has could endorse a candidate such as Branstad. They think surely Rod Roberts and Bob Vander Plaats are much more conservative than Branstad. Then they go one step further by thinking surely Jonathon Narcisse is more conservative than Terry Branstad is. For those in the audience that may be uninitiated into the realm of Iowa politics it is a very well known fact that former Governor Branstad is not the most conservative candidate in the primary race. In fact there are two other candidates in the race that are much more conservative that Branstad is. I can see that you may be doubting that this is possible so why don’t we review his record so that you can see just how anti conservative Terry Branstad can be.
During his tenure as the Governor of Iowa, Branstad more than doubled the size of the state budget. While I would be able to handle this if the population of the state had doubled but it didn’t. During the Branstad administration the size and scope of the State government increased dramatically as well, something that Palin has campaigned against as she hit the Tea Party tour. Another item that Palin has campaigned against is taxes, wanting to lower them at every opportunity. However, her pick for Iowa Governor can claim his signature to adorn the document codifying the largest tax increase in the history of the State of Iowa. Palin has also been a very vocal opponent to the fiscal mismanagement occurring within the Obama administration, but I guess when a Republican does it, it’s alright. After all it has been no secret that former Governor Branstad used budgetary gimmicks such as using two sets of accounting books during his tenure. Former Governor Branstad has also been traveling around the state proudly proclaiming that he left the State of Iowa with a $900 million surplus, unfortunately he viewed it as the governments money and not the taxpayers. Hasn’t Palin been advocating giving our money back to us?
As you can see Palins pick to win the Republican Gubernatorial nominee is clearly nowhere near conservative as she proclaims to be. Now I know that there are some of you in the audience saying that this is just an anomaly, and that she made a simple mistake and we should forgive here. I might have been able to buy this excuse if this was the first and only occasion where this had happened, but it is not. It is just the most recent in a long list of sell outs. Do I need to remind you that she endorsed John McCain in Arizona, or how about Nikki Haley in South Carolina, and then of course there is Carly Fiorino in California. It truly saddens me to see such a promising young conservative become infected by the same hunger for power that infests Congress. Perhaps it is for the best that we learn this about Palin now rather than during the 2012 Presidential race. It now looks as if Sarah Palin’s Presidential aspirations for 2012 are DOA in Iowa. It saddens me that Palin has torched her own career in order to ride the coattails of the establishment candidates across the country. Maybe from the ashes of her career something good will rise.
According to what I read online and heard on the radio this AM, Sarah needs to be very concerned about what her loyal fans think of her decision. She can endorse whomever she likes but she risked a lot at this point in time for Iowans. More to remember in November and way beyond!
I had admired her before and had hope for the future with her views but after yesterday this is like a shot in the gut i feel like i been on a hunting trip gone bad with her. No Dick Cheney poke intended but she lost what respect i had for her yesterday. Sorry Sarah check out the candidates before you throw your support behind them.
You very conveniently omitted most of Gov. Palin’s endorsements, citing only a few of them which fit your narrative. let’s look at the complete list, shall we?
Here is an updated list of the endorsments made by Sarah Palin so far:
* Cecile Bledsoe for for U.S. Congress in Arkansas 06/03/10
* Terry Branstad for governor of Iowa, 06/03/10
* Joe Miller for U.S. Senate in Alaska, 06/02/10
* Clint Didier for U.S. Senate in Washington State, 05/20/10
* Susana Martinez for governor of New Mexico, 05/15/10 – (Won primary election)
* Nikki Haley for governor of South Carolina, 05/14/10 – (Leads in GOP race)
* Carly Fiorina for U.S. Senate in California, 05/06/10 – (Leads in GOP race)
* Tom Emmer for governor of Minnesota, 04/29/10 – (Leads in GOP race)
* Tim Burns for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania, 04/26/10 – (Lost special election)
* Vaughn Ward for U.S. Congress in Idaho, 03/29/10 – (Lost primary election)
* Adam Kinzinger for U.S. Congress in Illinois, 03/29/10 – (Leads in general race)
* Allen West for U.S. Congress in Florida, 03/29/10 – (Leads in general race)
* Sean Duffy for U.S. Congress in Wisconsin, 02/17/10
* Rand Paul for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, 02/01/10 – (Won primary election)
* Rick Perry for governor of Texas, 01/20/10 – (Won primary election)
* Michele Bachmann for U.S. Congress in Minnesota, 01/20/10 – (Leads in general race)
* John McCain for U.S. Senate in Arizona, 01/20/10 – (Leads GOP race)
* Chris Christie for governor of New Jersey, 10/27/09 – (Won special election)
* Bob McDonnell for governor of Virginia, 10/27/09 – (Won special election
* Doug Hoffman for U.S. Congress in New York, 10/22/09 – (Lost special election)
* Saxby Chambliss for U.S. Senate in Georgia, 11/25/08 – (Won runoff election)
So, out of the 21 official endorsements Sarah Palin has made, only about 8 of them are “establishment” candidates. Make that 7 of them, if you consider Tom Campbell, not Carly Fiorina, to be the establishment candidate in California.
- JP
Dude, that’s 8 or 7 too many. Her whole platform is “reform” and this totally contradicts anything she has told the tea parties. Get rid of the “good ole boys network,” right?
She’s finished if she runs in 2012. Iowa will not give her the time of day and without winning this state she will quickly become irrevelant to the other states.
Even if the sell-out move was political posturing for 2012 it is perhaps the stupidest move in history. Branstad is surrounded by Romney people and his son even worked on Mitt’s campaign. Branstad will endorse Romney, the base will hate Palin, and she will have nowhere to go.
@Josh Painter
I can only speak to those endorsements I am most familiar with. Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Tom Emmer, coming the night before our state convention opened, had nothing to do with his winning the endorsement of the Minnesota Republican Party. He was already in the lead and won handily. And Michele Bachmann has no need of endorsement by Palin … she can and does stand on her own merit.
As for Saxby Chambliss, his win can be credited more to the work of grass roots volunteers who made thousands of calls on his behalf than to the Palin endorsement.
FYI – Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie did not win special elections – Virginia and New Jersey elect their state officers in odd years. Just the way they do it.
Again, In McDonnell’s case, he was the beneficiary of thousands of voter ID calls made by the same grass roots team that worked for Saxby Chambliss.
It remains to be seen whether there is any benefit to be gained from a Palin endorsement, but there is the potential to do great harm. Those who will not investigate for themselves may well put great store in a Palin endorsement and elect candidates who will do business as usual and perpetuate the very problems that plague us today.
guys and gals, lets get a grip shall we?
Ever since Palin started endorsing, it would rub some the wrong way. Some didn’t like the McCain endorsement or the Fiorina backing….no one is going to be 100% satisfied.
Some are POed because is wasn’t THEIR CANDIDATE that got the nod, others will quibble on her choices. My advice is simple….BUCKUP AND DON’T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A WAD.
For someone who is so “irrelevant” she sure does bring a lot of attention from the GOP establishment and the press (NEWSWEEK: The GOP Palin’s Problem or the CPAC snub). Some are pissed because they see her “rocking the boat”….THEIR BOAT (aka: Nikki Haley).
At most times, you ignore her, in the few times she gets your attetion, it’s either hit pieces or petty hate swipes…typical Saul Alinsky tactic.
So sorry your guy didn’t get the nod. Maybe Romney can endorse you AFTER the primary (aka: Susana Martinez, NM Gov race).
FYI to Josh. Nikki Haley was behind the polls until Sarah gave her the nod….she is in the clear lead. The same goes for Fiorina
ak267,
It is obvious that you are one of Sarah’s hardcore fans. It is obvious that in your eyes she can do no wrong. Well I am here to tell you that she is a hypocrite. Here in Iowa she endorsed a gubernatorial candidate that is a big government Republican. I don’t know the rationale behind her decision, but she has alienated a large number of the party base here in Iowa effectively killing any chance she had here in 2012.
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“During his tenure as the Governor of Iowa, Branstad more than doubled the size of the state budget. While I would be able to handle this if the population of the state had doubled but it didn’t. During the Branstad administration the size and scope of the State government increased dramatically as well, something that Palin has campaigned against as she hit the Tea Party tour. Another item that Palin has campaigned against is taxes, wanting to lower them at every opportunity. However, her pick for Iowa Governor can claim his signature to adorn the document codifying the largest tax increase in the history of the State of Iowa. ”
Why are you shocked? That statement is pretty much identical to the way Palin governed her state for two years. She never governed as a conservative.
No one cares what she thinks. The Raul Labrador win in Idaho was over the NRCC/RNC/Establishment goofball she endorsed in the primary. Most of the others involve no risk: Christie and McDonnell were going to win anyway. Rand Paul was far ahead when she endorsed him. And Michelle Bachmann? Is that even controversial? Or Allen West, media superstar? She’s becoming irrelevant pretty quickly. Conservatives across America are looking for a new face for 2012, not the stale gang of Pawlenty, Huckabee, Palin and Romney or washed up hasbeens like Rick Santorum, George Allen or Newt Gingrich.
GET IT OVER!!!